


An after

by Daydreamisallihave



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I just love kastle with my whole heart, Kind of slow burn but not really, Not sure if it's mature or explicit I don't really know the difference, Smut, kastle - Freeform, my longer kastle fic whatsoever and I didn't feel like dividing it in chapters I hope it's okay, my take on karen and frank relationship after the season, post punisher s01, tell me if you thing the rate is wrong, there's some madani but not much because I'm scared of writing her wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-02 23:11:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13328415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamisallihave/pseuds/Daydreamisallihave
Summary: My take on how Frank and Karen relationship develops after season one, with them trying to find an after happy together.





	An after

**Author's Note:**

> There are millions of fics on this topic out there, better than mine, but I needed to write this.
> 
> It was going just Karen and Frank meeting again, developing their relationship, all coated with my fave fluff, but I took another look at them together and somehow it ended with smut too.  
> I'm not used to writing smut, but I hope is not too bad and doesn't feel as awkward as I was feeling while writing it.
> 
> Oh, and as I said in another of my fics, I love the idea of Frank as little spoon and Karen as big...anyone else's with me on this?
> 
> Apologies for my English, since it's not m first language and no matter I check and re-read, there are always mistakes.  
> Apologies too, if the characters seem ooc to you, I tried my best.
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know if you liked it, I want to talk with people about kastle, it has stolen my heart.  
> And if you didn't like it, please be kind, I promise I tried my best.
> 
> Have a good read!

Two days. That’s all Karen lasted before trying to contact Dinah Madani. She knew it wasn’t a smart idea but she couldn’t help herself.

After the hotel, after the shape in which she had left Frank, knowing that everyone wanted him dead, she hadn’t try to contact him no matter how much she wanted to do it. Not that she really could, but she hadn’t put the flowers on the window, she hadn’t gone looking for him. She knew Frank had business to finish.

He’d come back when he finished.

Or maybe not. Maybe he’d disappear from her life again, a tiny voice was always whispering inside her head.

She tried to ignore it.

But then she started hearing about what had gone on at the carousel. Frank’s carousel. Unofficial murmurs here and there. And then official statements that Karen could not be surer were bullshit.

And her heart was in her throat.

She had no doubt Frank had been involved in it but what had happened? Where was he now? Was he safe? What was going on?

So Karen put the flowers on her window and waited, wishing not for the first time she had a more direct way of contact him. If...when he showed up, she was going to force him to give her a phone number, one she could actually call back.

Frank didn’t come, didn’t call her.

He was busy, probably. Hiding, maybe. It was okay, he was okay. But maybe...

What if, what if, what if...

Two days and Karen was dialing Madani’s number. But Madani didn’t answer the phone. Texting a homeland agent was even less orthodox, but Karen didn’t care. She needed to know Frank was okay. She didn’t mention Frank’s name or anything like that in her text, but she knew Madani’d understand.

No answer.

Another two days until something comes up, and Karen can’t take it anymore. She’s going crazy.

She tries to calm herself.

Frank can’t be detained, that would be all over the news.

He can’t be dead, for the same reasons. Unless he had died somewhere without them knowing it.

And no, ending that train of thought. He had to be safe.

But then her mobile phone rings, unknown number. Please, let it be Frank.

It’s not Frank.

“Karen Page? This is Agent Madani”

Karen’s heart is in her throat again.

 

 

Next morning, when she’s walking into Dinah’s hospital room, she’s feeling somehow better because Madani told her over the phone that Frank was alive. Her heart is not going to stop beating fast until she had seen him, though.

Karen’s eyes open wide when she catches sight of Madani and she stops herself from gasping aloud. Now she knows why Dinah’s voice sounded so strange and off through the phone. Karen had known that what had gone on at the carousel had been serious, but still, wow.

Madani chuckles and the movement makes her wince.

“Yes, Ms. Page, I know how I look.” There’s humor in her voice, to Karen’s surprise.

“What happened?”

Madani gestures to the chair next to her bed and then tells her everything, off the record. Tells her way more than Karen was expecting. Kandahar.  Rawlings. Billy Russo. The carousel.

Karen knows Dinah notices how her hands shake and her throat tights when she tells her about Frank being tortured to almost death. But Madani had already guessed their involvement a while back, so who cares.

“Where is he now?” Karen asks, voice shaking. “Is he okay?”

“I’ve been told he’s doing well, all things considered,” Dinah replies, lips tights. “He’s here at the hospital, under custody.”

Imagines of a battered up Frank strapped down to a hospital bed just like the first time they talked come to Karen’s mind, and it’s not like she wants to lash out against the equally battered up agent who actually helped him but no, Frank doesn’t deserve to be treated like that.

“So what, do they have him tied down to a bed as a thank you?”

Madani doesn’t seem mad at her tone. “No, not anymore, I made sure of that when I woke up. But they weren’t about to leave The Punisher without custody.”

Karen nods and whispers a thank you because okay, she gets it, it’s normal. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t make her blood boil, though.

“I’m going to talk to people, I’ll get you to see Frank,” Madani says, and this time Karen’s thank you is audible, a genuine grateful smile on her face.

“What’s going to happen to him?” Karen asks because she’s grateful he’s safe but still she wants more for him, she wants his after.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” The sight that Dinah lets out is beyond tired, not that Karen can blame her. It’s a miracle she’s awake, let alone talking. “But let me tell you, he’s not going to jail. They wouldn’t want him talking about what he knows, about what I just told you, it wouldn’t leave the agency under a good light. And that’s what matters.” Her tone is sour, Karen notices.

The idea of Frank not going to jail sounds good at first but it sits wrong in Karen’s stomach. She’s not naive. They don’t want Frank to talk and he’s a wanted criminal, with most people believing him a terrorist. Neither would he be missed by many people. So what is stopping them from making him disappear, so to speak.

Her thoughts seem to be reflected on her face because Dinah speaks again.

“He’s going to be okay, Karen.” She assures. “I’m working on it. They’ll threaten him, or bribe him or something but they won’t harm him, I’ll make sure. They owe him. I owe him.”

Karen’s heart eases a bit. She trusts Madani, somehow. But she’s still not sure everything will go as Dinah says. “Frank’s not really the bribing type.”

“No, he doesn’t strike me like one.” There’s another tired sight coming out of Madani and Karen feels bad for being bothering for so long a woman that injured, but she needs to make sure Frank is going to be safe.

“But he has to be.” Madani keeps going. “The people responsible for the murder of his family and my friend are dead. That has to be enough for us, if we want to keep going with our lives.”

Karen nods, hopes Frank understand it.

“Thank you.” When Karen smiles to Dinah, she smiles back tiredly. “I should let you rest.”

“Karen, you know you can’t write about anything of this, right?” Madani warns, but her tone is gentle. “I read your articles. You do good. Shedding light, exposing truths. But you have to let this go.”

Karen nods. “Off the record, I promised you.”

It bothers her. She wants to write all of it.

She wants everybody to know what was done to Frank. She wants them to stop thinking he’s a terrorist, she wants to them to know the truth about him. Wants to write about the ones who are actually guilty.

Madani seems to know it.

“I’m serious. If you want to write something, write whatever official version you are given. If you don’t, they’ll go to you, to stop you, and it won’t be nice.” Another warning.

Karen just looks at her, “would that stop you?” written on her eyes. The smile Dinah gives her it’s all the answer she needs.

“I know. But if I manage to get Castle a deal as long as he keeps his mouth shut about what he knows, what do you think would happen if you start writing about it?” Madani has all Karen’s attention now. “You won’t be doing him any favor, or me, for that matter. You are not supposed to know anything.”

Karen lets out a defeated sigh and nods. She gets it, she won’t write. There aren’t many ways in which she can protect Frank, so if this is one, she’ll do it without hesitance, even if that means letting the world think he’s a terrorist.

“I’ll let you know how things go,” Madani promises before Karen leaves.

Next day she’s allowed to see Frank. Karen buys the biggest box of chocolates she finds and has it delivered to Madani’s room, hoping she’s allowed to eat it.

 

 

There are some formalities, some more pleasant than others, before she can go to Frank’s room. She doesn’t care, it’s nothing she weren’t expecting. She just wants to see that Frank is okay with her own eyes, finally.

When Karen knocks at the door and then walks in her heart is beating fast and her throat is tight. There are so many things she wants to say but when she sees Frank there on the bed she can’t bring herself to say anything, not even hi.

Frank looks at her, seeming as surprised as he seems confused, and he sits up.

“Karen?”

She doesn’t answer, she just breaths faster because she’s feeling like she might cry and she really doesn’t want to do that.

“Karen,” Frank repeats. “What are you doing here?”

“I...I wanted to see you...see you were alright... was worried...” She’s finally able to reply, voice tight, shaking with emotion. He’s battered up, his face more bruise than skin, but it could be worse.

Frank’s still looking at her in confusion.

“Are you okay?” He asks, and Karen breaks.

“I should be the one asking you that, Frank.”  Her tone is almost angry for some reason she doesn’t really understand and she feels tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Ey, ey...shh, shh, shh,” he shushes her quietly, reaching out a hand, beckoning her close. “It’s okay, shh.”

And closer Karen goes, walking next to his bed, taking the hand he offers and carefully sitting down on the bed when he pulls at her.

“I’m okay, Karen.” Frank’s voice is soft and his fingers are gentle when he caresses her cheek, wiping away the tears.

“Okay,” Karen nods, breaths deep, trying to take a hold of herself. She seems to cry every time she meets Frank, lately. He seems to stir a lot of emotions inside her, making a storm of feelings which fight for going out and it’s beyond her control.

She tries to pull back so she can have a better look at Frank’s face but his hand is at the back of her neck, pulling her closer until they are forehead against forehead, like that time in the elevator, when she had gone for a kiss.

It’s intimate. And so, so comforting. She can feel him, warm and alive against her. Karen closes her eyes and breaths until her pulse goes back to something semi-normal, until she thinks she can talk without crying again.

She pulls back and takes a good look at him, cataloging the injuries she can see. The wounds he had at the elevator are still visible, along with more cuts, gashes, and bruises. But he’s alive and not in too, too bad shape after all.

Frank is just looking at her now, silent, and Karen brushes her fingers gingerly over his face. He closes his eyes with a low hum, leaning into the touch, and Karen finally lets herself smile.

“How did you get in here?” Frank asks when he opens his eyes.

“Madani helped me,” Karen replies. Her hand is now finding his, she doesn’t want to stop touching him, reminding her he’s okay.

Frank doesn’t seem to mind. When her fingers touch hiss, he’s already turning his hand so he can intertwine his fingers with hers. “Madani. Is she alright?”

“Yes, as much as she can be. She’ll get through.”

“Atta girl.” Frank smiles. “And how did you know I was here?”

“Madani, again. I...I called her.” Karen doesn’t know if Frank’ll be angry at that, but she doesn’t care, he doesn’t get to be angry. “After I heard about the carousel...I was worried, I didn’t hear anything about you...”

Frank hums but he doesn’t say anything. Karen’s not sure if she’s relieved or upset.

“I was scared thinking you might be dead...Why didn’t you tell me anything? Not a call, nothing...” She finally lashes out.

Frank frowns and waves around the hand that’s not holding hers. “I was here. Feeling like shit. In custody. You know.”

“I mean before that.” Of course she knows he couldn’t contact her from the hospital, she’s not stupid. “After the hotel, you could have told me that you were alright. And then you could have told me what you were going to do.”

“It’s not that easy, things went to shit quite fast, Karen.” Franks shifts awkwardly, wincing when he does so.  “I didn’t really have the time...and I didn’t want you getting involved until everything was dealt with. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

There it was again, same old.

“Frank, I’m already involved, okay? You know I am.” Karen places a hand on his jaw to make him look at her, mindful of his bruises. “And you don’t get me hurt, actually you have saved my life, several times. So stop using that as an excuse.”

Franks makes a sound like he wants to argue that, but says nothing, letting her talk.

“I hate seeing you go without knowing when I’ll see you again, or if I’ll do it.” Karen feels tears threatening to fall again at the idea of confessing him her fears but she doesn’t care, she’s going to do it anyway. “I worry about you and you know it. So if you don’t want me to be in your life tell me so, because otherwise, I don’t want you to disappear again not knowing when you’ll come back. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Why you say that, of course I want you in my life.” His voice is a soft whisper. “I’m not going to disappear, Karen. Promise.” He leans towards her like if he were going to press his forehead against hers again. But this time he brushes his nose against hers, so gentle, and Karen can’t help her smile.

“You better don’t.” Her smile is as fond as the puppy eyes he gives her. “When you get out of here you call me and we get to contact each other by phone and not by flower pots, and to hang out as regular people, okay?”

“Okay.” Frank nods but seems unsure. “But Karen, I don’t know what’s going to happen when I can leave the hospital, I...”

“You are going to be fine.” Karen interrupts him before he can worry any further. “Madani is taking care of it.”

“Madani seems to have a lot on her hands for someone who is recovery from taking a bullet to the head.”

Karen ignores him. “She says they are not going to want you going around jail or anywhere else talking about what you know, what has really happened. So Dinah is working on a deal, trying to make them get you free...”

“As long as I keep the mouth shut.” Frank nods as if he had already considered, looking away from her, lips tight. “I don’t know why they just don’t kill me, it would solve their problem faster.”

“Don’t say that.” Karen chastises him and Frank looks back at her. He seems to notice it has hurt her and gives her an apologetic look.

“Sorry.”

Karen can’t be mad at him when he gives her the puppy eyes anyway.

 “You trust Madani?” He arches his brows and Karen nods. “Okay, okay. Me too.”

“Frank, whatever they offer, you take it, okay?” Karen goes serious again. “You take the deal and you get your life and you come to tell me about it, am I clear?”

“Yes ma’am, crystal.” Frank seems amused but when he runs his fingers over Karen’s cheek he has a look in his eyes that makes Karen’s stomach flutter. He leans closer until he’s pressing a kiss to her cheek and Karen’s heart beast fast, fast.

But then there’s a knock at the door and a voice telling her time’s up. Karen groans, glaring at the door. Frank chuckles at her expression and lifts the hand he stills has on hers until he’s pressing a kiss to her knuckles. And that is, Karen thinks, her heart is going to explode and she can’t do anything to help it.

“Go.” He tells her, letting go of her hand, but Karen is reluctant to leave him alone there. “I’ll be fine, go.” She nods and gets up because there’s nothing else she can really do but trust he’ll get out of this and will go back to her. “Thank you for coming.”

She leans over to press a kiss on his temple, even though what she wants to kiss are his lips. Her lips linger for a moment and she feels him smile.

“You better don’t disappear, Castle.” She warns him on her way out, smiling when she hears him chucking.

“I promised you I won’t.”

 

Karen hates waiting and she has to wait what seems an eternity but it’s almost not even a week until Madani sends her the text she’s hoping for.

“Frank Castle is a dead man but Pete Castiglione is a free one.”

Karen is a bit ashamed that her first reaction is one of dislike towards that Pete name rather than one of happiness. Not that she’s not happy, but ‘Pete’, for real.

There’s another day until he contacts her via phone.

“So, Pete, isn’t it?” She teases, because she can, because he’s safe and calling her from a number she can call back.

“Yeah, well...” He sounds awkward and she smiles. “You don’t have to call me that.”

Karen wants to see him and she tells him so. But turns out he’s not walking away that easy, deal or not. Lieberman and him still have to do things for Homeland, papers, statements, all that kind of not very nice things.

But Frank promises he’ll go see her when all that is taken care of, and that’s enough. And he texts her every day to let her know how things are going, to let her know that he’s okay. Her heart flutters every time she sees his texts.

The morning of the day Frank is going to be finally actually free, Karen wakes up to one of his texts. He apologizes, saying the Lieberman’s invited him for dinner and he couldn’t see her until late. As if she could be mad for that, when she’s about to finally see him again.

Karen is humming happily, getting ready, when there’s a knock at her door. She frowns, it’s too early. But when she looks through the peephole Frank’s standing there, bag on hand.

She opens the door and stops herself from throwing herself into his arms like his body asks her to do.

“You are early.” Karen beams at him and Franks says nothing but pulls her into a long hug. She smiles, all warm, hides her face in his neck and breaths hard, enjoying the moment.

Eventually she pulls back and studies his face. He looks better, healing.

Once inside, Frank pulls a bucket of white flowers from the bag, similar to the one that he gave her all that months ago, and gives it to Karen with a smile that’s almost shy. There’s nothing shy in the kiss she presses to his cheek.

“I brought you take out, also,” Frank says, giving her the food bag.

“Thank you.”

He helps her set up the coffee table with everything they need and then they sit down on the sofa.

“I thought you were dining with the Lieberman’s?” Karen asks once they are settled down.

“I was going to...” Frank shifts, seeming uncomfortable. “But I just...it didn’t feel right...I couldn’t bring myself to go...”

Karen looks at him but says nothing, waiting for him to explain himself further, if he wants to.

“It felt weird...I don’t know. They are a family, they should celebrate together. What was I doing there?” He has a frown on his face that Karen wants to kiss away.

“They wanted to celebrate with you too, you are their friend.” She ventures.

“Yeah, yeah...David and Sarah, they are real nice you know. Their kids too. They are around my kids’ age.” Frank is still not looking at her. “And I just...I couldn’t, Karen...”

She notices his voice breaking and Karen’s heart tights. She reaches out to take his hand. “It’s okay. You’ll go celebrate with them another day.” Her thumb strokes over his knuckles and Frank smiles slightly when he looks at their hands.

“Yeah.”

They talk while they have dinner, about everything that had gone on since she left him at the hospital, about this and that. They keep talking until late, until Frank tells her that he’ll better be going and letting her sleep.

And Karen doesn’t want to. She wants him to stay with her, to pull him close and kiss him. But she doesn’t.

She knows Frank has feelings for her, too. But she also knows that things are complicated for him. So she’ll wait until he’s ready. Frank Castle taught her to be patient.

She says her goodbyes and offers him her forehead to kiss, which he does, with a smile.

They start meeting several times a week, since then.

Sometimes for breakfast, in some café he likes, before she has to go work. Sometimes he brings take out and they have dinner together at her place, talking until late. Other times they just go out for walks.

Sometimes she has to work at home until late but Frank goes to her place anyway, brings a book, sits down next to her to read while she works. They keep each other company. As long as they are together, Karen doesn’t care that much about what they do, and it seems neither does Frank.

Karen only hopes she makes his heart feel as warm and loved as he makes her feel.

Eventually, Frank goes to have dinner with the Lieberman’s but he takes Karen with him. And he was right, they are nice, nice people. Good for him.

He’s also been talking to her about another friend, Curtis, and his group, to which he goes sometimes. Karen knows it’s helping, and when she expresses her interest, she introduces her to Curtis. She’s not disappointed. It seems Frank Castle has some good friends, after all.

And it seems finally she has made a friend too. She has been texting and talking with Madani since the hospital. They meet sometimes, not much, busy as Dinah is, but Karen enjoys their time together and hopes for a long-lasting friendship.

“You two are kind of similar,” Frank tells her one day when she’s talking to him about it. “There’s no criminal you can’t stop if you join forces.”

He’s half teasing and she’s laughing, but Karen’s eyes lit up because damn, he’s right. And then Frank is all worried again, telling her not to go out looking for trouble with or without Madani. This man is worse than a worried grandma sometimes, but Karen likes it. It makes her know she’s important to him. It’s nice to have someone taking care of you. She wants to protect him as much as he wants to protect her.

He still hasn’t kissed her.

Frank seems content to snuggle with her on her sofa, placing an arm around her and holding her close whenever she curls up to him, running a hand through her hair.

Sometimes it’s him who curls up to her, on days when it seems like his mind has gone back to a dark place. Whenever that happens Karen holds him, comforts him silently, fingers brushing over his har, his face, his arm, his back...waiting for him until he’s ready to tell her what’s on his mind.

Their lips find foreheads, temples, cheeks, but never each other’s lips. It’s okay, Karen doesn’t mind. She can wait. She’s happy enough with what they have now.

 

She doesn’t have to wait much longer.

Frank comes to her flat to see her, late one evening after she texts him how tired she is but how many work she still has to do, bringing coffee and take out because he knows Karen has probably forgotten to eat. Which she has.

Her table and part of the floor are covered with papers, folders, photos, notebook, everything she has on the case, and she keeps typing on her computer while she eats, trying to pin together her new story. She knows Frank won’t mind. He’s already leaning back on her sofa, asking some questions here and there about her article while he eats, minding his own book when he finishes the food.

Hours pass and Karen’s almost sure the article is more or less finished but she still feels there’s something missing. She’s looking through her notes, trying to figure out what it is. She gets lost in thought, eyes fixed in the same page, not really reading it, until Frank’s fingers brush over her cheek, pushing back the strands of hair that have fallen over her face.

“It’s late, you should rest.”

Karen glances at the clock and realizes he’s right, but she stills wants to finish before she goes to bed.

“I’m almost done.” She lets out a tired sigh and takes another notebook, giving Frank an apologetic look. “You can go, you don’t have to stay here not sleeping because of me.”

Frank just shrugs and shifts to lie down more comfortably on the sofa, eyes back at his book.

Karen smiles. She likes that he keeps her company, even if she’s not paying much attention to him. He takes care of her like that, bringing him food and coffee, listening to her talking about whatever story she’s working on, and overall just making her feel like she’s not alone anymore. She tries to do the same for him, as much as she can.

She curls up to him, notebook on hand, and he immediately places an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer, a kiss to the top of her head. Karen lets herself lean against his chest, head resting on his shoulder as she settles to review her notes once more.

The hand that’s not holding a book is rubbing absentminded patterns against her skin, and his even breath, chest rising and falling under her, lures her into sleep.

Karen wakes up to some movement under her. Slowly, she opens her eyes, looking around in confusion. Frank seems to be getting up, lifting her on his arms.

“What?” She’s not even sure of what she’s asking, still sleepy.

Frank blinks at her, frown on his face when he sees she’s awake, and he sits down again still with her in his arms.

“You fell asleep. You should sleep on your bed, not on the sofa.” Frank offers as an explanation. “I didn’t mean to wake you up. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.”So he was trying to carry her to bed without waking her up.  It’s sweet. Karen should be used to it by now but still warms her and sends flutters to her stomach.

She maneuvers until she’s on his laps, hands on his shoulders, thighs straddling his. She hopes is not too much, but they seem to be in each other arms all the time lately. Frank doesn’t pull away, his own hands settling on her waist.

“Frank, it’s late. Why don’t you stay with me this night?” Karen offers, tentative, sweet smile on her face.

She’s content with whatever he wants to take from her offer. If he wants to cuddle on her bed like they do on the sofa, it’s beyond great. If he wants something more, then he’s more than welcome. Karen wouldn’t be mad if he decides just to take the couch or to even leave. She respects his pace.

Franks seems to consider it and then he’s nodding and Karen smile goes wider. He smiles back, loving eyes staring into hers, his fingers drawing patterns over his hips, squeezing gently and Karen decides to go for it.

She leans her head towards his, lets her gaze go from his eyes to lips, parting hers. An invitation. Again, allowing Frank to take whatever he wants from it, nothing, everything or something in the middle.

He goes for everything.

His hand cradles the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair when he brushes his lips against hers, tentative at first, until Karen moans softly and opens her mouth to his.

Karen has been daydream about kissing Frank for long, even before they were this close. It’s different than what she had imagined. In her daydreams, his lips were rough against hers in a sort of fast and angry. Sometimes there were blood involved in the mix too.

But this kiss is soft and slow and right now is perfect and everything she wants.

She’s not sure how long they spend just kissing, she doesn’t care, and then Frank’s lips are leaving hers just to place lazy kisses down her neck, over her shoulder...and if it’s like that, they can be on her sofa until morning comes, Karen doesn’t mind.

Frank tries to sit up and Karen is about to complain but then he’s lifting her with him, arms under her thighs for support. Karen wraps her legs around his waist and lets him carry her to the bedroom, no complaints whatsoever.

He lies her down on the bed, kneeling next to her, his lips finding hers when she pulls him closer and Karen learns that his kisses are not always soft and gentle, but always perfect nonetheless.

“You are not sleeping on that.” Karen murmurs pulling down the zipper of his hoodie and giving thanks for that habit he has of sometimes wearing a hoodie with nothing under it. Karen has never understood it, doesn’t seem practical to her, but she’s not complaining, she’s too busy pulling it off him, running her hands down his exposed skin, smiling when Frank hums against her lips.

She gently pushes at Frank and he seems to catch what she wants and lies down on the bed, smiling when she straddles him. His eyes are lit with which seems more adoration than lust, and it scares Karen a little, but probably she just looks the same.

Karen runs her fingers over his chest, down to his stomach. There’re still some lingering-almost-healed cuts, a couple of fainted bruises, but he’s pretty clean if you don’t count his scars. Karen leans over him to place a trail of kisses down his neck, making him shiver, and then she takes her sweet time to lick and kiss over each scar, enjoying the soft moans that she earns from him.

His belt is the next thing to go.

“I just want you to get comfortable, since you didn’t care to bring pajamas.” She jokes when Frank chuckles as she tries to tug his trousers off.

His chuckle dies, replaced by a low groan, when Karen pulls he own pajama shirt off and then he’s shifting them until he’s over her again, kissing her warmed flush, mouthing at her breasts, licking a path down to her stomach. He chuckles again, muffled against her skin when he feels her awkwardly trying to kick off her bottoms.

“You in a hurry or something?” He arches an eyebrow at her, good-humored, helping her undress.

“Look at the hour, want me falling asleep on you?” She teases back.

“No way you’d fall asleep on me.” Frank nips at the underside of her thigh, hard enough to leave a mark, eliciting a moan out of her. No, she wouldn’t. “And I’m going to take my time with you.” A promise than send shivers through Karen. His tongue circles her belly button and then his mouth goes down, down, and Karen loses the ability to form coherent thoughts.

He does take his time. Karen doesn’t know, doesn’t care how many he spends with his mouth on her, his tongue and fingers turning her into a shaking, moaning mess, not stopping until she reaches her climax, his name on her lips and her fingers tugging on hair that’s getting longer. Frank presses tiny kisses over her thigh while she’s still shivering with the aftershock, until she pulls him up to her so she can kiss him.

“Want you...” Karen breaths while she kisses him and the moan he lets out, muffled against her lips, is delicious.

He finishes undressing while she rummages in the drawer of her bedside table until she finds a condom, going back over him as soon as she gets it. She strokes him, gingerly at first and then not so gently, enjoying every groan that he lets out, every hard intake of breath, the strangled moan when she licks at his length that goes right to her core.

He’s shaking, eyes closed and hands gripping the sheets hard when she finally, finally rolls the condom on him and moves to sink in, making them both moan. Frank opens his eyes and the look that he gives her makes Karen feel almost shy, but then he’s smiling at her and she’s smiling back. His hands run over her thighs, up her sides until they reach their breasts and every fantasy she has had about this moment is nothing in comparison to the reality.

Karen enjoys this, the control, the sight of him sprawled under her, the feeling of his chest under her hands as she moves, but eventually she tugs at him and Frank takes the cue, sitting up, arms around her, her legs wrapped around his waist while they keep moving. His lips find her neck first, kissing and sucking, before he lowers his head to her breasts and yes, perfect.

He shifts them again until he’s over her. Karen’s hand goes to his cheek and she smiles when he closes his eyes and leans into the touch, whispering her name. She kisses his lips again and they swallow each other moans while they move together.

Sunrise is close when they finally fall asleep but Karen gets to catch a few hours sleep. Frank is snuggled to her, head pillowed on her chest, his breath soft against her neck. She doesn’t have much movement, with Frank’s weight pressing her to the bed, but she doesn’t care, she holds him close the couple of hours she gets to sleep, happier than she can remember being in a long, long while.

 

Karen wakes up to a kiss on her forehead and then another to her lips. She groans because yes, the kisses are great, but she’s so tired.

“Be mad at me for waking you up, yes.” Frank’s low chuckle makes her smile and she slowly opens her eyes to find him smiling at her. “But otherwise you’re going be late for work, and then you are going to be madder.

Karen glances at the clock and realizes he’s right. She groans again but sits up. Frank’s lying next to her again, soft smile on his face and giving her those loving puppy eyes she just loves, loves.

She brushes her fingers over his cheekbone. “Morning.”

“Morning, sweetheart.” The word makes her stomach do something funny and her heart beats fast. She leans down to kiss him so she won’t giggle like a teenager.

Karen doesn’t want to move from her bed, not when Frank’s there, not when she’s still so sleepy, but she forces herself to do it. She considers asking Frank to join her in the shower but that would mean being late for work without any doubt. They’ll have time later.

When she comes out the bathroom and into the living room, the papers and notebooks she had left scattered here and there are on a neat pile next to her laptop and Frank’s in the kitchen making coffee. He walks to her and gives her a mug. Karen had learned a while ago that his coffee is always great.

“I was trying to make you breakfast and all, but you have nothing to work with.” He accuses, and Karen shrugs.

“If I’m not having breakfast with you in that cafe then I just have something on the go.” She sips his coffee, as good as always.

“That is a very bad habit, ma’am.”

Karen rolls her eyes at him but then she’s kissing him.

“So say, you pick me up after work and we go grocery shopping, anything you deem adequate for a good breakfast.” Karen suggests. “And whenever you sleep here, you make breakfast for us. Deal?”

 “Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you make it this far, thank you!!  
> Any thoughts? Share your kastle post s01 headcanons with me!


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